Lunatic Friends
by VitaminH2O-Energy
Summary: I decided that there was a lot of things that could make me happy...but right now...I'd be content with finding somebody who was just as un-normal as I was. A guy gets a crush on a wannabe serial killer. Rated M for language, sexual content, violence.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello friends. For those of you who already follow me or my stories, I am sorry for the delay with my other stories but I assure you an update is coming soon. This is just a little something that spat out of a story generator and it stuck so I hope you enjoy. Gaara might be a little OOC in later chapters but not much but Sakura will be a lot OOC. Enjoy!**

I wasn't normal…that was for sure. I don't know what I would classify myself as…hell I don't know what Sigmund Freud would classify me as…but I knew it was not normal. I don't think abnormal cuts it either. I wasn't right; my marbles were perfectly intact and I knew my right from my left but I was not right and I knew it. How you might ask? I stood out. In my family, at my old school, and I'm pretty sure I'm going to stick out at this new school I was being forced to go to a well. Damn you Temari.

Temari was my overbearing yet overprotective older sister. Did I love her? I'm sure I do…at least I'm sure I'm supposed to…but then again how can I know if I'm not really sure what love is…what it feels like? I know there's platonic love, family love, unconditional love, and lust love…I've just never experienced them. I guess I could say Temari loved me because she had to. She was just a caring person though. She was 19 years old and had her whole life ahead of her. Well, she _had_ her whole life ahead of her. She had graduated from her high school…our old school…top of her class, valedictorian and all. Who could forget that ten minute speech of hers? She was class president, active member of the Red Cross Club, the Interactive Community Service Club, National Honor Society, and Future Businessmen of America in addition to being accepted to most of the top Ivy League Universities: Stanford, Princeton, Harvard, Cornell…you name it. Unfortunately for her, fate had different plans and thought it imperative that our father abandon us around the time of her college orientation. Temari always said that it didn't bother her one bit that she had to stay and watch over Kankuro and I and that she had no problem starting college a year or two late. But deep down, I knew she held a ting of resentment for our father and maybe even us.

My sister wasn't one of those ugly ducklings you read about and saw on TV either. She actually had looks to match her brains. But then again I don't know what the appearance scale was based upon these days so my opinion hardly matters. She has golden blonde hair that is naturally kinky and wavy much to her dismay and most of time she kept it up in four puffy puff balls. Her green eyes were a tad shade darker than mine but reminded me so much of our mother I was actually glad she didn't give into the trending fad of wearing color contacts to appear more appealing to the opposite sex.

I almost wished she wasn't so stubborn and would listen to me when I tell her she should go ahead and leave us behind. Temari didn't ever get to have a normal life…even when our father was around. She was too blunt and was never afraid to speak her mind which caused a loss of most of her "friends" but if that's what friends do to you I'm glad I don't have any. She rarely had dates because she always chose us over her boyfriends. I remember one guy breaking up with her because she chose to stay with Kankuro and take care of him when he got food poisoning.

Kankuro was truly…something. Though he and Temari were neck and neck when it came to age, Kankuro was the complete epitome of a fifteen year old. It still surprises me that he's the older brother. He wasn't nearly as friendly and compassionate as Temari was but then again neither was I. I think the reason Kankuro and I got along so well, if you can even call it that was because we had a lot in common. But there were things about him that escaped me like his utter and total dislike for children…not all children…he was apathetic towards babies and teenagers didn't bother him one bit… it was that age gap of five year olds to preteens. He use to threaten this one boy's life if he ran into him again. Needless to say the runt steered clear of him for at least three months before he even thought about crossing his path. I was pretty sure he didn't like me though. We got along well but maybe it was more on the account that he was afraid of me or what I might do. I wasn't going to do anything…not to him at least. Although his weird obsession with marionettes, I did question from time to time.

Kankuro took more after our father. He had dull brown hair and dull chocolate eyes. He wasn't as scholarly as Temari but he was more of a….leper I guess you could say. Not a loner but a leper, you see there's a difference. A loner chooses to be alone but a leper is cast away. Of course people of our time castaway what they don't understand and Kankuro being the weirder of the weird that's exactly what they did…..of course I was the weirdest.

But that was at our old school that he was the leper. And I was the loner. This new school… anything could change… at least that's what Temari keeps telling us. She says we should reinvent ourselves and begs us to make friends. Too bad we couldn't all be Miss Congeniality. Quite frankly I had nothing to lose but nothing to gain either. I was either going to end up friendless like Temari or a leper like Kankuro so why waste energy? It was all Temari's idea to transfer schools, an easy decision for her to decide since she had already graduated from the school we had become accustomed to. But this new school was closer to her job and Kankuro's job so it seemed fit.

She was a waitress at a local diner a few blocks from our new flat and brought in decent tips…unfortunately they went towards the rent, light, phone, cable, water, and internet bill. Thank god we didn't have a car or she'd be paying an arm and a leg for the note as well as for gas. Kankuro worked at grocery store as a bagger and though he pitched in a few times he was rather selfish with his money. I wasn't allowed to work. Switching to another school was no convenience for Gaara Sabaku.

I didn't know anything about the school. I ignored the pamphlets Temari slid under the crevice of my room door, I didn't look up the name on the computer, hell I didn't know the mascot or the school colors. I just knew the name was Konoha Academy. Sounded like a reform school. I wasn't mad. I just didn't care.

"Gaara Sabaku!" Temari's shrill voice yelled from the kitchen. "You have twenty minutes to be showered groomed and at this table!" she threatened.

I laid in my twin size bed staring at the ceiling. Another sleepless night.

I grabbed my pillow and covered my face with it. I didn't know what I wanted more to block out the sun's horrendous rays with its silky casing or suffocate myself. Maybe both.

"GAARA!"

It was definitely to block out that voice of hers.

Five minutes into what I could only describe as blank daydreaming was interrupted by my room door slamming against the wall. I would definitely have to pick up a lock from the hardware store. I didn't have to remove the pillow from my face to see the glare my sister had placed upon my cold pale body.

"You know," I drawled lazily, "if you keep glaring like that your face will be stuck that way."

"Get up now. You have to be at school in thirty minutes and you know the bus ride is forty minutes long." Temari said removing the pillow and throwing it in my closet. I stared at her blankly. Damn, I hate the transit.

"I've actually been up since last night so-"

"Don't make me bring the shower to you." She said with a devilish smirk. Sighing, I rose up giving her a look that said 'are you satisfied?' She smiled and exited closing the door behind her. She didn't give Kankuro this hard of a time.

Deciding there was no point in avoiding the inevitable, I got out of the bed and walked towards the mirror attached to my dresser. The bags were worse than I thought. They were now so black it looked like I wore a raccoon on my face. There was no amount of makeup Temari could put on me this time to cover this up. My skin was also ghostly pale. If I wasn't myself I'd actually doubt that I was alive. Then there were the two things that opposed and contradicted everything about me: my fire engine red hair and jaded eyes. I didn't have any clue where such a hue that my hair was had come from especially since neither of my siblings knew any of our relatives with the same color. Kankuro even joked that I might have been adopted. I wasn't amused.

This was part of the me-not-being-normal part I mentioned earlier. Red isn't a natural color for hair. Yet it is what it is. I ran my fingers through the tufts and strands and blew out a breath before grabbing my towel I had previously thrown haphazardly on the armoire the night before. This flat might not compare to our house that he used to live in but at least I didn't have to share a bathroom with my siblings. I trudged into the aquamarine tiled bathroom and turned on the shower, thinking of nothing in particular.

How was I supposed to feel about this? Was I supposed to be nervous…excited…all of the above?

I stepped into the shower stark naked and contemplated. What was the probability of actually making friends at this new school? Slim to none. The probability of me making enemies? The numbers are through the roof. I closed my eyes and let the warm water relax my muscles. It was my last year of high school…my last year _of _school if I decided to stop short at college, find me a nice quaint nine to five job that pays me enough just to get by. I would be content with just that. Content. Not happy. What would make me happy?

Something furry and wooden slid down the tub hitting the back of my foot. I opened my eyes to see another pair of eyes locked with mine.

It'd make me happy if Kankuro stopped washing _his damn dolls_ in _my_ shower.

The first thing I smelled when I exited my desolate room was bacon. Bacon, eggs, toast, and syrup. Great. My one and only inclination and they can't even fulfill that. _Vegans definitely don't eat bacon or eggs._ I walked into the dining room not surprised seeing my brother sitting at the unleveled table stuffing his mouth with bacon. Disgusting. He didn't even notice my appearance until a finely crisp strip fell to the floor. He picked it up stuffing it back in his mouth and eyed me.

"Temari, is going to kill you." He chuckled reaching for his glass of orange juice.

"Kankuro," I said pausing ever so slightly, "Are you missing anything….of value?"

My brother gulped down a large amount of juice before thinking to himself. "Let's see…nothing I can recall." He said in deep thought.

"His brain." Temari mumbled from the kitchen.

"Riddle me this," I said sitting next to him grabbing a slice of toast. "What has eyes, a mouth, but isn't living and combustible?"

"Uhhhhh…."

I slammed his favorite marionette on his plate, it now being burnt to a perfect crisp the only ounce of color emitting from its melted blue eyes. "You're fucking puppets if they end up in my shower again." I spat.

"Ha!"

Kankuro screamed falling out of his chair as Temari clutched her side restraining her chuckles. "Rollo! No!"

"Consider this a warning for all the other members of Pinocchio's clan who think skinny dipping in my tub is a good idea." I said biting my toast.

Kankuro picked up the torched doll his mouth still agape. "Murderer!" Temari walked into the room to inspect the damage I presume when she halted.

"Gaara…what the hell are you wearing!"

"Clothes." But on the contrary I knew exactly what I was wearing. I had on a black beanie to hide my unruly hair, a black Green Day shirt with metallic green writing, black jeans, and black converse. Nothing was particularly wrong with the outfit but considering how this school had a uniform I'd say loads was wrong with it.

"Don't get smart with me! You have to be at school in ten minutes! Go put on the _right _clothes! I can't baby you like this! I have to go to work!" She exclaimed pointing towards my room. "Kankuro, I have to go. Make sure that you and Gaara leave as soon as he's dressed. You two are already going to be late."

The brunette only nodded as she walked out of the door. I sighed stalking back to my room. I should just stay in my room and pretend to go back to sleep. It's not like Kankuro would care. Hell, he'd probably leave for school without me. I could easily laze around the house until two sneak out walk around the block five times and then come home after Temari gets off and feed her some bullshit lie about how normal school was. I could have done that. But honestly, a part of me was willing to find out just what this school had in store for me.

I eyed the uniform placed on my bed. It simple. It was uniform. I guess they don't call it that for nothing though huh? It was a simple button down white shirt, black slacks, a red tie, and dress shoes. There was also a blazer with the initials KA on it in white thread. Temari wanted me to wear it so I would…with my own adjustments. I rolled the sleeves of the long sleeve shirt up to my elbow and ditched the blazer. I also kept on my beanie and my Converse. It's not like I was _out _of uniform.

When I walked back into the front my suspicions were right and I wasn't even surprised that Kankuro had already left. I knew he would be still pissed about the puppet thing and I'm pretty sure the whole look he was going for this year didn't involve being seen with his kid brother stalking around behind him. Not that I would. I was relieved he had left actually. I liked being alone. I grabbed my backpack and my wallet before checking all of the stove aisles and the electrical outlets. This place didn't look fire proof or like it had fire insurance.

I reached for the spare key hidden behind the 2 on our door and locked it before replacing it walked to the nearest bus stop.

The air was rather humid for fall. However, the ground was still dewy and leaves were still falling. It was a weird feeling; it made me feel all slimy and gross. I didn't like this area. Our old neighborhood would have been cool with overcast skies. Maybe I didn't like this area because we were practically in the slums. I passed by several stores: a book store, a coffee joint, and a music store, all of which I would most likely visit whenever I finally did get sick of this school. Skipping wasn't beneath me.

Many of the pedestrians walking on the same side walk as I, gave me looks, looks that I was accustomed to. At first it confused me when I was younger. I didn't know why people stared at me like I was some kind of monster. But now I like to make a little game out of it. I like to imagine why people stare at me the way they do or what they might be thinking when they see me. Call me sadistic but it is pure entertainment. I saw a businessman who turned up his nose while on what was probably a business call. _He is definitely not worth my time. Not that I would even give him the time of day. _I smirked a little at what he could have possibly been thinking and nodded. A lady walking her dog past by next. _They should really round up all the hoodlums. This neighborhood isn't safe anymore. _I let out a throaty laugh at this one because it was hard for me to imagine this area ever being safe. This definitely wasn't good for my health or my sanity.

Kankuro must have caught the earlier bus because he wasn't at the stop when I finally arrived. The stop was right on the corner of a donut shop that had all kinds of profanity tagged on its outer brick walls and across from a Laundromat. I leaned against the metal pole waiting patiently as if I had all the time in the world when really the bell had probably already rung. No matter.

My mind drifted to what my life would have been like if my mom had woken me up today. What if. She would have greeted me with her soothing voice. She would have let me sleep an extra ten minutes, sleep because if she had been here I wouldn't be losing sleep. She would have made sure Kankuro's stupid toys didn't end up in my bathroom. Actually, if she were here there would be no puppets or stinky small flats. We'd be back at our home. The one she had grown up in. There would be no more working mother like Temari but instead a college bound successful Temari. There would be no more Kankuro the puppeteer but instead Kankuro the athlete or respectful achiever. There would be no vegan neglecting breakfasts and no more rides on the transit. There would be no more worrying about our father's whereabouts. Everything would just …work.

"Hey kid!"

I didn't realize I had actually drifted off into a slumber daydreaming. The huge metal bus was stopped before me, doors open to reveal a chubby and sloppy looking man biting into a jelly filled donut. "You on or off kid?"

I stepped on ignoring the comment, deposited my change, and grasped my hand on the railing since there were no actual seats left. I decided at this point there were a lot of things that could make me happy.

But for now….I would be content with finding somebody as_ un_-normal as I was.

**Feedback is Love. Feedback is Fuel. Feedback is Accepted.**


	2. Chapter 2

The building was a tall and wide mixture of an estate and a Victorian manor with shutters painted white and the school emblem painted green on the center of the building. Students piled out of their parent's Range Rovers and BMWs and some out of family limos. They all wore the uniform to perfection and none gave me a passing glance. I already knew then how this school year would be.

I nonchalantly looked towards the secretary who was now printing out what I assumed to be my schedule. I arose from my seat and approached her desk. I could feel her body tensing up as if she anticipated me to attack her. It was funny almost how people like her felt the need to fear me.

"Here you go." She said quietly sliding a green sheet of paper over to me without making official eye contact. "This is your yearly schedule. For the most part you have all your junior level classes and one senior level class." She printed out a card and punched a hole on the top of it. "This is your I.D. card. You need it to get into the building and your classes. And this," she slid another card towards me, "is your account card. You load money onto it to pay for lunches or t-shirts for gym or more uniforms," her voice trailed off at the last part eying my choice of clothing.

I took the cards and the paper and made my way towards the door for her to call out. "Wait just a minute there!" She yelled rather loudly building up some courage. I turned to face her, my face impassive. "We have our hall monitor that will escort you to your first class. You are twenty minutes late and you can't get in without an escort or a pass."

"Then write me a pass."

She clicked her tongue and shook her head fervently. "I'm afraid that won't do. You won't be able to manage to find the class and the teacher won't let you in haven't had senn you before."

"I'll manage fine."

She ignored my last statement, picking up her walkie talkie and began to page the hall monitor anyway. I turned away from her to look out of the window into the hallway. There were glass trophy cases as far as the eye could see. The floors were waxed and there were various posters of clubs and organizations. I hated it here already. There was no particular reason. Have you ever encountered something or someone that you knew from the start you wouldn't enjoy? It was one of these moments.

"Ah, Sasuke. You're here. Right on time. This is our new student, Gaara Sabaku."

There were a lot of words that I could use to describe my first impression of Sasuke Uchiha. Uptight. Popular. Rich. Egotistical. Arrogant. Pitying. These were just a few. He didn't even have to speak a word for me to inference these things, his aura oozed these words.

His hair was groomed perfectly and was pure black as coal. His eyes matched his hair and lacked in emotion but was made up for in a facade of a "holier than though" prospect. His blazer had all of the buttons buttoned and his tie was as straight as they came. His slacks were finely starched and his shoes were shinier than the grass outside. His porcelain skinned face held no imperfections. Not a dent, scratch, crevice, bag, scar, or blemish in sight. He was the poster boy for Konoha Academy. I could tell.

His facial expression when his eyes landed upon me read several things. Disdain mostly. However, it was all quickly concealed with a smug yet pitying smirk. "Nice to meet you, Gaara." He said extending his hand for me to shake. I was almost fascinated there wasn't a white glove there to protect his oh so delicate hands. I remained statuesque.

He withdrew his hand. "Ah, the silent type. No matter there although we do seem to have a matter to resolve indeed regarding your uniform. Seeing how this is your first day, I will only issue you a small fine for your violations." He said pulling out a ticket pad. "Of course, these will go straight into your account and will put a hold on things that you are required to purchase. Let's see here," he looked me over and chuckled to himself. "Hats are not allowed on campus. That will run you about...let's see ten dollars for each time you're caught with it." He grabbed the beanie off of my head and shoved it in my hand. "Then your hair is unruly. That's fifteen for improper grooming not to mention an additional ten for those unsightly bags. No blazer, thats twenty five. Wrong shoes that's fifty and improper wearing of the tie that's fifteen. That totals to about one hundred and twenty five dollars. But don't worry considering your...situation we'll put it straight on your account." He said ripping the papers off the ticket pad and handing them to me.

I looked at his extended hand once again before walking around him. "Where's English 3 with Kakashi Hatake." I asked walking out of the office.

The raven haired boy quickened his pace and led me up a set of wood floor stairs. "There are a lot of guidelines and rules we follow here at Konoha Academy, Sabaku. Rules that you are expected to follow." He started leading my down various hallways. "And considering your...situation...I'd make no mistake in saying that you are definitely a rule breaker, one of which we will not tolerate."

"What exactly is my situation Sasuke?" I said raising my voice yet remaining calm.

He chuckled halting his pace and turned to face me. "It is no secret that Konoha recently used its scholarships for the less fortunate to aid one lucky civillian in a hands free tuition." He said.

"So what you're saying is my "situation" is that I"m the school charity case." I clarified.

"Precisely. But do not fret, my friend, it is no wonder that people from your family's background behave the way they do." He said putting his hand on my shoulder and grasping it tightly.

Despite the anger surging around in my soul I was able to remain calm. For now. I was right all along. These people didn't want to take me and Kankuro in as students but as a photo op. There was no one like me here and I would stick out like a sore thumb but this time not only will it be for my looks but for my family's status as well.

"Let's get several things understood Uchiha," I said removing his hand from my shoulder. "First, and foremost, I am not nor will I ever be your friend. Secondly, the only situation that my family is in is having to transfer schools because it was convenient and thirdly, if degrading "less fortunate" students because of their financial depravity is a bullet point on your list of pass time hobbies then you are more "less fortunate" than they are." I continued walking allowing the Uchiha to process my words.

Are you happy Temari? I made one enemy before first period.


	3. Chapter 3

Walking into my first period "fashionably late" was exactly how I expected it to be...the students looked exactly how I imagined. They all had on their specially tailored uniforms and professionally styled hair. It was obvious this school was for the lifestyles of the rich and successful and even more obvious that I didn't belong here. All of the students had their uniforms on respectively and eyed the adjustments I had made to my own. Some snickered of course ignorant to the fact that little things did not have an effect on me. It was almost military...this school. Everything was uniform; not a hair was out of place with these students. ..literally.

It was refreshing to see the teacher's nonjudgmental gaze though as I approached his desk. At least there was one nonconformist here. He looked to be about 30 and had grey hair but anyone could tell it was not from old age. Now that I think about it, it was more silver. I analyzed his stance and came to the conclusion that he might be one of the few I get along with. His desk was covered in a mast of paperwork and maybe five orange books. Icha Icha. I scoffed mentally. At least he wasn't a closet pervert.

"I won't ask you if you're a new student because that would be redundant and unnecessary. So let me get straight to the chase. I am Professor Kakashi Hatake. You may refer to me as such or as Kakashi whichever suits your interest. What might your name be?"

I stared at the man unmoving. I could feel the eyes of the thirty students waiting for my response. I sighed and murmured lowly. "That depends. My name might be anything because with the vast list of names increasing there'e a higher probability each second a baby is born that I could share the same name. But my name is Gaara."

While most were straining to hear, Kakashi smirked happily leaning against his desk. "What an answer, Gaara. I didn't think you'd catch my little implication. Very well, then." He looked towards the class and scanned the room. "Class this is Gaara. Is there any available seat that he can take? Please raise your hand if there's a seat by you."

Everyone's hand shot up.

"An available seat." Kakashi corrected himself. All of the hands descended as the teacher continued to look around. "Ah, you can sit by Sakura. She's the one in the back right corner."

I nodded not looking at the aforementioned person but instead taking in my surroundings. The class room was nicely decorated not to my surprise. There were exactly four large windows making up a wall whereas the other three walls were painted a bright tan color. The desks were in neat rows of four and columns of eight. The fluorescent light bulbs illuminated the room so much that there wasn't one dark crevices or shadow. I hated bright rooms.

I heard whispers being exchanged as I passed by but I kept my eyes locked on one thing: nothing at all. It sounds strange but my eyes weren't focusing on anything in particular. They were gazing blindly at what was in front of me; functional enough to guide me around obstacles yet not attentive enough to see the faces of the gossiping rich kids.

I reached my seat but not before catching a huge amount of pink. My blind eyes had began to focus in on where I was headed and saw that the girl that Kakashi had referred to as Sakura had annoying vivid pink hair. It made me wonder actually several things. Why had Kakashi said 'She's the one in the right back corner' instead of the one with the pink hair? Wouldn't that have been easier and more efficient? After all, most of the population at the school excluding Sakura, Kakashi, and I had either brown, black, or blonde hair. Pink was such an odd color though. What would possess her to dye it that color?

I blinked realizing I was staring at the pink haired girl but she seemed ignorant of the fact. She sat in her chair, arms folded on the desktop, head turned towards the window, sitting on the edge of her seat. Her long hair cascaded down to her mid back. I decided that she definitely had to be the richest and most popular of the population. The hair dying was a fad and she was too stuck up to notice attention when she's always getting it.

I turned towards the board to see Kakashi had begun the lesson again in order for me to catch up. I silently pulled out a spiral tablet and began writing down. They were starting the Scarlet Letter, a book that was required for junior year curriculum and one I had read cover to cover several times. There was something about Hester Prynne that I related to. She was shunned from society which was almost the same as my self choosing to be distant. She wore the scarlet letter to display her evil sin and I bore a scarlet emblem much more intense than a letter. Hair.

As Kakashi went on with his modern day translation, I noticed unwanted attention. My jade eyes were met with those of baby blue.

"I would ask can I help you but I'm not into philanthropy. " I muttered continuing to write. The blonde girl let out a hushed high pitched laugh so Kakashi wouldn't hear but it was loud enough for her friends and I to hear.

"Did you hear that?" She asked leaning towards her friend with reddish brown hair and glasses. "The charity case doesn't do charity. Hah!" Her friend snorted and joined in with the laughter.

I looked up and blinked at the two. I wasn't aware this type of thing still happened in school. Wasnt it kind of...tv show sitcom?

"Sasuke-kun sent me a text saying that trouble was heading our way but I didnt know it was this bad." The blonde said.

Sasuke-kun? Ok, so they were the fangirl type of popular girls.

"It must be such a disgrace to have to come to school on scholarship because your family can't afford it." The one with glasses added.

I continued to stare at the two disbelievingly before speaking. "So let me guess. I believe i've seen this episode. Because Sasuke isn't here he texted you two to do his bidding? That is exactly what I would expect from him. As for your petty comments, it doesn't faze me that you look at things from the wrong side of the mirror. While you think attending school on scholarship is a disgrace I see it as a compliment. It just means that im actually intelligent enough to not have to pay for anything whereas you two have to continue digging in your father's pockets to attend school and make the same grades as your bra cup size. Heres a tip from me to you: eventually money runs out and I'll still be attending here for free." I said returning to my notes. I didn't look up to take in the shocked faces of the bosom buddies. If I did I wouldn't have missed the interested gaze the pink haired girl had given me.


	4. Chapter 4

The first half of the school day had gone by surprisingly fast. Not that it mattered to him anyway. All the classes were easy enough for him to get by without actually trying and the teachers didn't annoy him, or maybe they were just too afraid of him to bother him. He had seen Sasuke multiple times throughout the first four classes, hardly annoyed that he had two classes with the Uchiha but apparently it bothered the raven haired boy a lot. He had even seen Kankuro at one point but he knew his brother wasn't going to actually make a notion to talk to him. He was surprised and slightly impressed that his brother could actually act normal. Slightly impressed but not totally.

If there was one thing he did "like" about the academy it was the free period he had before lunch. He was free to do what he wanted, within school restrictions and limits of course, which meant spending quality time reading in an uninhabited greenhouse in the middle of the school. It was quiet and quite actually peaceful. There were several flowers and plants that made the place that much more enjoyable. It was his spot.

He didn't expect the food in the cafeteria to be terrible, it was a rich school after all. He grabbed a freshly made deli sandwich, an apple, and a water bottle, and sat at a quiet table in the back corner of the room. He was an observer. It was relaxing for Gaara to sit and take in the sights. He quickly could identify the "cliques" and the habits of everyone in one sitting and that's how he liked it. He looked at the sandwich debating on the extent of his hunger and ultimately opted to take a bite of the apple.

His peripheral caught a glimpse of pastel pinking flowing adjacent to him. He hadn't been here long but long enough to know there was only one girl here with pink hair- hell there was only one person here with pink hair period. He looked at the girl annoyed that she had completely ignored his blatant signs of annoyance. She preceded to sit her tray on the table and flatten out her napkin on her lap. She unwrapped her sandwich slowly before taking a large bite and munching approvingly. She didn't look at him or seem to know of his existence.

"Can I help you?" he asked rhetorically.

She looked at him while eating her sandwich and swallowed. "No." she said simply and then continued eating.

Gaara decided against further conversation. This girl was just plain weird. Suddenly, a blonde haired boy sat down in front of him making a lot of noise. It was hard to explain. It was like everything he did had to have a self-made sound effect. He had a brown paper bag on the table and he smiled devilishly, rubbing his hands together as he ripped the bag apart. A homemade tuna sandwich, a pudding cup, and a bag of chips rolled out of the scraps and he exclaimed energetically. Now, the pink haired girl was watching him as well.

"Yes! A Snack pack!" the blonde boy shouted ripping the paper off the cup and drinking out of it rather than using a spoon. He had chocolate all over his mouth before he realized two other people were staring at him. He directed his attention towards the pinkette and gasped. "Hey! You're Sakura Haruno!" he swooned. "Why are you sitting over here and not with your friends." He gestured towards the cheerleaders. So she was the rich and popular type. That answered some and explained little.

Sakura blinked at the boy never confirming his accusation or answering his question. The boy looked at Gaara and tilted his head. "I've never seen you here before? You must be new. I'm Naruto!" He exclaimed holding out his hand for the Sabaku to shake. Gaara looked between the two before gathering his items and heading towards the trash. What was with the people at this academy? Were they all this insane in the membrane? He through his untouched sandwich in the trash and turned to run into Naruto.

"Hey, wait you can't just walk off! I don't even know your name! I'm Naruto! I'm here on scholarship. I don't really have any friends here and I've been here since freshman year. It's like a sworn allegiance between everyone not to talk to those on scholarships." Naruto revealed in a mouthful.

Gaara looked at the boy, face blank. He didn't know what to make of his statements. It made sense that no one talked to Naruto because he had a scholarship because they didn't even talk to him. But even if he weren't here on scholarship would they really talk to him? He was so annoying.

"So I was hoping maybe we could eat lunch together. It'd really beat being alone." Naruto said before the red head could utter a word.

"No." Gaara said side stepping him and walking back to the table to find Sakura still there much to his dismay. He looked between the two. "Is there a reason you're both here? Bothering me?"

"Well," Naruto started, "My name is Naruto! I'm here on scholarship. I don't really have-"

"Yeah. I got that." Gaara said. He stared at the girl who in turn continued to eat. "What cat got your tongue?"

She balled up her wrappers and wiped her mouth with her napkin before staring at him the first time since she sat at his table. Her eyes shined brighter than any green pigmented jewel on earth. "To be honest, I just took petty on you." She said rising up and leaving with her trash. Though her words were meant to offend him, Gaara knew there was no meaning behind them. There wasn't any feeling behind them. They were just empty words. That wasn't the real reason. Obviously she took him for a fool. Silly girl.

"Don't mind Sakura-chan. She's a really nice person. Sometimes she just hangs out with the wrong people." Naruto said biting into his tuna sandwich.

"Chan? You have a personal relationship with her?" Gaara wasn't sure why he asked or why he was even talking to Naruto in the first place.

"Not really. She used to hang out with me, you know in the beginning. But then she climbed higher on the social ladder. I don't mind though." Naruto said.

Gaara stared at the boy. He had an ounce of respect for Naruto. Anyone who could put up with the bullshit of this school in silence was a true soldier. "Gaara."

"Hmm?" Naruto mumbled swallowing his food down.

"My name is Gaara." The red head said finally.

"Gaara. That's cool! So does this mean I can eat lunch with you tomorrow?" Naruto smiled.

"No." Gaara said leaving the table.


End file.
